Desmanthus meandroides van Soest & Hajdu 2000

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 14A–I, 16N

Synonymy and references: Desmanthus meandroides van Soest & Hajdu (2000: 302) and Muricy et al. (2011: 143); Desmanthus sp.: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 143).

Type locality. Brazil.

Material examined. CNPGG-2389, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20988°N, - 91.96686°W), 4 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 26 august 2017.

Description. Thinly encrusting habit (Fig. 16N); covering an area ca. 11 cm 2; up to 0.1 cm high. Surface hispid with several subectosomal channels in a very characteristic meandriform pattern. Pores or oscules not visible. Color in vivo orange and after fixation light beige. Consistency firm.

Skeleton. Styles of several sizes are disposed perpendicular to the surface (Fig. 14A). Desmas in choanosomal region with rhabdomes pointing outwards although not reaching the surface (Fig. 14C). Several subectosomal channels visible (Fig. 14B).

Spicules. Megascleres (Figs. 14D–I): Desmas I, cladomes (Fig: 14F); 70– 141 (37.9)–190/4– 6.3 (1.2)–7.2 µm. Desmas II (Figs. 14G–I), cladomes; 110– 153.7 (27.2)–200/7– 10.5 (2)–15 µm and rhabdomes; 70– 108.3 (31)– 180/10– 13.5 (4.2)–25 µm. Styles, slightly curved and smooth (Fig. 14D); 150– 383.7 (221.7)–760/3.5– 8.6 (3.6)–14 µm.

Distribution. Mexico (current record), Brazil (van Soest & Hajdu 2000).

Remarks. Up to now, Desmanthus meandroides had been reported only in Brazil (van Soest & Hajdu 2000; Moraes et al. 2006). Thus, our study is the first record of the species for the GoM. Our material has external morphological features (shape, color, and surface pattern) and spicules quite similar to the original description by van Soest & Hajdu (2000). However, our material has, in general, smaller spicule sizes than the original; viz., desmas I cladomes 155–291/5–6 µm, desmas II with cladomes 155–267/8–17 µm, rhabdomes 49–204/10–30 µm, and styles 126–834/8–10 µm.

Order Clionaida Morrow & Cárdenas, 2015